Former Secret Service Agent Recalls Time With Kennedy Family

Clint Hill, a former Secret Service agent whose duty it was to guard Jacqueline Kennedy during her time as first lady, spoke at the Fort Smith Convention Center on Friday.

Hill spoke to a crowd of about 1,000 people as part of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Christmas Honors program. The purpose of the program was to create and place wreaths on the headstones of more than 12,000 veterans buried at the U.S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith.

Admission was free thanks to an anonymous donation, event organizer Philip Merry said. Those who attended the event were asked to donate canned food items to benefit the Veterans Homeless Shelter.

Friday’s presentation was the first stop for Hill, who joined co-author Lisa McCubbin, on a tour to promote his book, “Mrs. Kennedy and Me.” Copies of the book were available to purchase before the presentation, and Hill was available to sign copies.

Hill, whose code name was “Dazzle,” spoke of his times traveling all over the world at Kennedy’s side during her time as first lady. Hill was one of two agents assigned to guard Kennedy, a job that took him to places such as France, India, Pakistan, Italy, Greece, Germany and all over the U.S., including the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port, Mass., and, of course, Washington.

Hill said when he got the assignment to guard the first lady after three years in the Army, he thought his job was going to consist mainly of attending fashion shows and tea parties. However, Kennedy’s adventurous spirit would take Hill all over the world.

“She was a very, very wonderful lady,” Hill said. “It was obvious at our first meeting.”

Aside from guarding Kennedy, it was also Hill’s job to watch over her two children, Caroline and John Jr., Hill said. Hill showed photos of himself and the Kennedy children boating and walking along the beaches near the Kennedy compound.

Hill also shared several photos from his times traveling the world with the Kennedy family. Keeping a balance between letting Kennedy do what she wanted and keeping her safe was a challenge, Hill said, but the two had an understanding.

“When she wanted to do something, Clint allowed her to do it safely,” McCubbin said.

Part of the challenge was keeping up with the huge crowds Kennedy would inevitably draw everywhere she went, Hill said. Wherever they would go, Hill said, world leaders always graciously accepted Kennedy.

“Every place we went to, they all had such a great relationship with her,” Hill said. “She was one of the best ambassadors we ever had.”

The cover photo of the book was taken in Ravello, Italy, Hill said. In it, Kennedy is leaning over and asking him, “Will you please try and keep the press away from us today, Mr. Hill?”

Hill also described what he saw and the actions he took on Nov. 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas.

When the first shot rang out on Elm Street, Hill had his head turned toward the president rather than toward the Texas School Book Depository where the shot came from. Hill said he saw the president clutching his neck, and that was when he jumped to the vehicle that carried the president and first lady.

“I knew something was wrong, so I jumped to the president,” Hill said.

Hill didn’t hear the second shot, and when the third fatal shot struck the president in the head, Hill was covered in blood, bone and brain fragments. Hill said Kennedy held her husband tight while the vehicle drove out of the area.

“She didn’t even know I was there,” Hill said. “I could see his eyes were fixed, I could see the wound.”

The crowd saw a photo of Hill spreading his body over the president, trying to shield him from any possible additional fire.

“His whole purpose here is he expects that more shots are coming, and that’s why he’s there,” McCubbin said, pointing out the photo.

Hill said he had a tough time dealing with the aftermath of the tragic event, and that if kept busy, he could keep his mind off of it. Eventually, he got a desk job and that task became much more difficult.

“I’m OK now, but I wasn’t for a long time,” Hill said.

Hill said he fell into a deep depression with alcohol, and after a doctor told him he had a choice to live or die, he said he chose to live.

Hill returned to Dallas in 1990, and said he wished he had gone back a lot earlier. Hill closed by thanking McCubbin on stage for her help with writing the book.

“All of that has been very cathartic to me, so now I’m OK,” Hill said.